Photo by Ben Coon
The Charlotte 49ers return to action Thursday, March 17 to battle in-state foe Wake Forest in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). After finishing the regular season with a 19-11 record, Charlotte earned a trip to their 13th postseason appearance in the last 14 years. The 49ers met the Demon Deacons 14 times prior but are winless in the past five meetings. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FUELED BY MOTIVATION
Charlotte enters this matchup off the back of a defeat to Old Dominion in the Conference USA (C-USA) tournament. The 49ers business trip to Birmingham, Al. didn’t necessarily go as planned, however that’s not to say that Charlotte didn’t leave without learning a few lessons.
“Our players were a little more nervous than I anticipated,” head coach Cara Consuegra said. “I think they realized that at that level of the tournament, what you did doesn’t get you to where you want to go.”
Consuegra and her team believe that those lessons learned against the Lady Monarchs will carry over into Thursday’s matchup. The players are fueled with motivation and a second chance, in a national tournament inside Halton Arena is just what the doctor ordered. Additionally, Charlotte is 8-1 at home since the turn of the New Year.
WAKE FOREST SCOUTING REPORT
Never underestimate an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team. Even though the Demon Deacons sit 10th in their conference standings with an overall record of 16-15, they’re a talented team.
The Demon Deacons are led by three double-digit scorers in Amber Campbell, Ariel Stephenson and Milan Quinn. The backcourt pair and sole forward are Wake Forest’s spine on paper and all average upwards of 30 minutes per game.
As Consuegra said earlier in the week, the Demon Deacons possess a stretch-4 player which will provided Charlotte with matchup issues. It’d be expected that Kira Gordon matches with this threat as she has the ability to not only guard in the post but also along the perimeter due to her length. Furthermore, Kenya Olley is back for the 49ers and can also mimic Wake Forest’s threat and step out to 15-feet and knock down a few jumpers of her own.